Dyson Relay Race Report by Christine Williams
One of the biggest APSOC races of the year, the Frank Dyson Relay once again delivered a blockbuster performance.
A Race with History — and Drama
First held in 1939, paused only during the war years, and run every year since 1946, the Dyson Relay honours the memory of Old Melburnian Frank Dyson. Each runner completes a 3.82 km lap of the Tan — flat and fast to start, then the iconic Anderson Street hill, then a downhill sweep to the finish. Short, fast and dramatic – everything a relay should be. And this year, the Tan delivered a full‑scale thriller.
Race Atmosphere — Action, Drama, and Stunt‑Like Baton Chaos
The relays always create the perfect ingredients for a major blockbuster:
- Runners exploding off the line with a burst of collective energy, then dodging walkers, prams, tourists, dogs, and other runners in true Tan‑track choreography
- The heart‑stopping crusade up Anderson Street Hill, where heroes are made and quads are broken
- The sweeping southern turn where you finally glimpse the finish and think, I might actually survive this
- And then — the stunt‑like scenes of runners hurtling into the changeover chute, arms outstretched, eyes locked, passing the baton with millimetre precision
All while: Spectators screamed encouragement; Team managers yelled names into the wind; Timekeepers barked instructions; And the iconic APSOC reminder echoed across the gardens: “Last runners — put your baton in the bin provided!”
It was chaotic, electric, and utterly magnificent.
As always, OXAC was everywhere — larger than life, loud in spirit, impossible to miss.
- We welcomed new APSOC runners into the fold: Ben Butler, Brendan Carius, Gracie Cole, Ben Ferretto, Taya Kalman, Joe Sexton, Jennifer Tod, Tim Tyers
- A special shout out to our young guns — Gracie Cole, Callum Ragazzon and Christos Tsorlinis— flying around the Tan like seasoned pros.
- We loved seeing familiar faces back: Drew Cole, Pierre Guillon and Jason Paisley and Xaverina favourites Christy Bonstelle and Hannah Cossins cheering from the sidelines.
And behind the scenes? A full production crew: tents going up, tables unfolding, whiteboards scribbling, phones buzzing with “I’m on my way!”, timekeepers timing, families helping, Marg Fitzgerald on official APSOC duty beside stalwart Field Rickards, sticker labels flying, photos snapping, recipes being swapped, snacks being shared, and everything packed down ready for next time. It was OXAC at its best — a full‑cast ensemble.
Results
OXAC delivered a huge day of results, including:
• Fastest Woman Overall: Annabelle Colman — 13:26
• 2nd in the Men’s Team Championship: OX1 finished behind only Old Scotch
• 2nd in the Women’s Team Championship: OX1 taking silver to Old Wesley
Top individual performances:
Ben Ferretto – 12:21 • Simon Holt – 12:41 (1st M40) • Joe Sexton – 12:42 • Justyn Bove – 12:49 • Aidan Jackson – 12:53 • Zachary Taylor – 13:11 (4th M23) • Tim Tyers – 13:29
Annabelle Colman – 13:26 (fastest female) • Di Guiney – 15:54 (1st W50) • Georgia Guiney – 16:30 (3rd W23) • Belinda Blackburn – 16:37 (2nd W50)
In Division 1, our men’s teams placed 2nd, 6th and 7th. Div 2 men took 5th, 6th and 8th. Our women’s teams were 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th.
The Dyson Relays felt like a full‑scale OXAC production: big cast, big energy, big results.
We were the largest team. We placed second in both major team championships. We filled the Tan with red and black.
A brilliant day for OXAC — and a brilliant step forward in the season’s race for top club.
